A Troll In the Corner Podcast? Would You Listen?

 Technology, Troll in the Corner  4 Responses »
May 102012
 

There’s a gazillion podcasts out there covering everything from the music of Macross to This Week in Tech, This American Life on to The Married Man Podcast. Listeners are bombarded with innumerable choices, but perhaps there is room for one more?

I run a gaming podcast, Wargaming Recon, releasing new episodes every other week. Being a podcaster since 2006 has taught me that when people find something they like, they’re willing to stick with it and to try out related content. In other words, if you like what TrollITC has on the blog you may thoroughly enjoy a podcast discussing the same type of content found on the blog.

The million dollar question is, would YOU listen to such a show? Something that released weekly, or bi-weekly, lasting say 30-60 minutes in length. Perhaps you’d like it to be shorter, maybe clocking in at 15-20 minutes?

Your input is desired because I’ve been mulling over the possibility of such a show. I know that Ben, and the gang, are open to new ideas in the hope of seeing if the the spaghetti sticks to the wall. I’m not saying that we will end up creating a show. If interest is sufficiently strong you can bet that I’ll see what can be done.

Popularity: 1%

 Posted by Jonathan on May 10, 2012 at 5:30 am  Tagged with:

The Kickstarter Problem

 Board and Card Games, Comics, Role Playing Games, Technology  12 Responses »
May 092012
 

The lovely Kickstarter logo

Short post today. I want to talk about Kickstarter, the self-described “funding platform for creative projects.” Here’s a link to their guidelines, which constrain but don’t seem that strict.

The concept behind the site is very simple. Let’s say I want to create something. I can start a Kickstarter page, and fill it out with all the details about whatever it is I’m gonna make. Donors can come, see how much my fundraising goal is, and choose to contribute. I set up fundraising “tiers”, much like larger fundraising organizations do, except these tiers provide tangible benefits. The $10 tier might get you a personalized thank you card, the $50 tier might get you a signed copy of whatever I’m creating, and a $500 donation might get your name listed as a Gold Donor or whatever.

The main selling point of Kickstarter is that if the fundraising goal is not met, you don’t end up donating any money. So if my goal is $400, and I only raise $250, the money raised all goes back to the donors, no questions asked. So it’s kind of like risk-free financial supporting: toss some money if you like the idea, but if not enough people do, then there’s no risk.

There are definitely some cool projects that have popped up on Kickstarter in the past year or so. But I am a bit worried that it might get out of hand.

I’m not saying the Kickstarter model is a bad one. In fact, I’m absolutely positive that more projects will see the light of day because of the platform, when in the past they would have been merely the dreams of idle gamers, artists, and programmers. Kickstarter is a fabulous tool for the indie creator, to be able to subsidize the creation of whatever his or her dream project is – and if enough people can get behind it, then it’s worth creating.

Continue reading »

Popularity: 2%

 Posted by Nick on May 9, 2012 at 12:00 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,

Breaking the breakdown: an examination on how learning a new system/setting can fail.

 Role Playing Games  No Responses »
May 072012
 

Image courtesy of DA user mffugabriel-stock

My gaming group has, collectively, an incredibly short attention span. Everyone has an idea for something they want to run, and most of us have several campaigns floating in the works at any given moment. Needless to say, we’ve burned through quite a few systems on our never-ending quest to give reality the finger. In the course of doing so, I’ve noticed a few reoccurring problems over the years that can cripple or kill a campaign before it even gets started.  Continue reading »

Popularity: 2%

 Posted by Vanhavoc on May 7, 2012 at 11:29 pm

Rage of the Dragon

 Literature  No Responses »
May 062012
 

Image courtesy of TOR

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have tag teamed so many novels of the years that they have become a household name to fantasy readers.  Rage of the Dragon is the third installment in their latest series, the Dragonships of Vindras.  Here is a blurb from the inside flap of the cover.

Skylan Ivorson is the gods-chosen Chief of all Vindras clans. But the gods from whom the Vindrasi draw their earthdwelling power are besieged by a new generation of gods who are challenging them for the powers of creation. The only way to stop these brash interlopers lies within the Five Bones of the Vektia Dragon—the primal dragon forged during the creation of the world—which have been lost for generations.

With the Gods of the New Dawn amassing a vast army, Skylan finds allies in former enemies. Calling upon the ogres to fight their common foes, the Vindrasi soon find themselves in the middle of an even larger war. Skylan and his Vindrasi clan must sail the Sea of Tears into the heart of the Forbidden Empire of the Cyclops, to implement a cunning yet delicate plan that risks his life and leadership at every corner. But a new enemy lies deep in the sea, one who draws upon powers never harnessed by land dwellers.

For me just seeing the names Weis and Hickman on the cover is enough for me to want to read it.  When you add in gods going to war and dragons I can’t turn the pages fast enough.

It is becoming quite typical of series written by this duo to start off rather slow, almost ponderously trudging along.    What really makes Weis and Hickman good at what they do though is that there is always payoff for your patience.  They take their time building the story, introducing you to the characters.  Perhaps we have become a cultural too inundated with technology and instant gratification that we cannot wait for the action to start.  Well, you have to wait with a good book.  I will tell you this much, when the action starts, it gets your heart beating. It is in conflict that Weis and Hickman truly shine. The battle scenes in this book are thrilling and so well conceived and written that it is easy to visualize yourself standing there at Skylan’s side.

I enjoyed this book, though it does meander a bit.  This is good, fun, fantasy.  If you haven’t started this series yet, do so, and know that you need to have a little patience, let the story grow and you will be rewarded.  I’ll be honest though, this isn’t the pair’s best work.  They have yet to repeat what they achieved with the Death Gate Cycle, though for me and nostalgia’s sake their best work will always be the Dragonlance Chronicles.  However, that being said, this is still a great story that is well written and most assuredly worthy of a read.

Popularity: 1%

 Posted by Nakedhobo on May 6, 2012 at 2:13 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Farewell to Fear – Punk Rock Post-Fantasy

 Role Playing Games  1 Response »
May 042012
 

This week I’m going to be talking briefly about Farewell to Fear, a new fantasy RPG being developed by the Machine Age Productions.

If you haven’t been over to Kickstarter and checked out the RPGs in development, I highly suggest you do. Not only can you help a project get greenlit that you want to see in stores, the rewards/pledge level system means you can often get an advance copy. Plus, it’s always nice to see your name in print!This is the fifth game Machine Age have funded through Kickstarter, and their first fantasy production (disregarding reincarnating immortals in Amaranthine. This is high fantasy people!).

Farewell to Fear is set in the Eastern

Europe-inspired Arduise, where the same old fantasy tropes are under attack by revolutions of thinking. Playing as a one of a whole host of “archaeologists, historians, alchemists, monster hunters, priest hunters, musicians, detectives, politicians, sorcerers, exorcists, biologists, and cavaliers”, the characters take the lead in changing the world for the better.

I really like how the Wizards live in their own pocket dimension, and Jenna Fowler’s artwork is amazing. I like that the first line of the book talks about the extinction of the Elves (somewhere around six minutes in).

Farewell to Fear has been up on the site for about two weeks now, and has about two more weeks left before it finishes the funding round. At the time of writing, the pot is over $9500, more than twice the $4000 goal. Not long after they reached the funding goal (around two weeks ago), I fired off a few questions to David Hill about the game. Here’s what he had to say.

Continue reading »

Popularity: 1%

 Posted by Benedict on May 4, 2012 at 4:50 pm

On sale now! The 2nd Annual Wayne Foundation Charity RPG Pack!

 Argyle & Crew, Aruneus, Board and Card Games, Dungeons & Dragons, FATE, Literature, parahuman, Pathfinder, Role Playing Games, System Neutral  1 Response »
May 042012
 

Available only from May 4th – May 18th 2012

Starting today, right now, the 2nd Annual Wayne Foundation Charity RPG Pack is on sale! With $235 worth of product and retailing for just $25, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better bargain than this.

Want another reason to get excited? All of the profits raised from the sale of this pack will go directly to The Wayne Foundation – a 501(3)c charitable organization dedicated to ending child prostitution.

This charity pack will get you a huge variety of amazing things! Complete RPG systems, books to supplement your D&D 4e, Pathfinder, Fate, G-core and other games, original character artwork, original short fiction and several full length novels!  You will find months, if not years of entertainment right here, in one convenient, fairly huge .zip file just waiting for you to download it.

If you’d like to help spread the word, you can grab a copy of the word/gdoc press release suitable for cutting/pasting directly into your blogging/website software. Or grab the prettier PDF press release created for us by Kristin Moran! We’d love to hear you spread the word on your sites, Facebook, Twitter, G+ and hell, even MySpace!

To see a complete list of what’s included, click past the break!

Popularity: 2%

 Posted by Ben on May 4, 2012 at 8:59 am  Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

How Kevin Smith Rekindled My Podcasting Flame

 review, Technology  1 Response »
May 032012
 

Wargaming Recon Logo

I record the Wargaming Recon podcast when I am not writing this weekly column. Wargaming Recon is a bi-weekly hour-long gaming podcast dedicated to historical gaming and New England gaming. I review products, discuss games I play, chat about cons, and travel the wargaming world with listeners.

Being a podcaster is a fun and exciting hobby that also can be a lot of work. New Jersey native and SModcaster Kevin Smith released a new book titled “Tough Sh*t: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good.” As a fan of his earlier works, i.e. Clerks., Mallrats, and Chasing Amy in particular, I started reading the book. Unexpectedly, Smith reveals a lot of great advice for anyone wishing to be creative. He owns a highly successful, fun, and funny series of comedic podcasts, which garner millions of listeners per episode.

Continue reading »

Popularity: 1%

 Posted by Jonathan on May 3, 2012 at 7:40 am  Tagged with: ,

Review: Pathfinder Party-of-One BB3: Alosar Emanli

 Role Playing Games  1 Response »
May 022012
 

Alosar Emanli: Druid Mediocre

Reviewing products, especially gaming materials, is not an easy task. There is literally an entire universe of material to consider when looking at a product and saying, definitively: “this is good” or “this is bad”. It’s very easy to slip down the rabbit hole; for example, I could easily talk about the history of D&D 3rd Edition, and how that led to Pathfinder, which eventually led us to this product. And while I don’t expect anyone to buy or not buy this product based on my recommendation (I hate to think that folks’ livelihood is on the line here), I do want to always leave a few breadcrumbs so that you might find the rabbit hole.

The product I’m reviewing today is Paizo’s Pathfinder-branded Party of One BB3: Alosar Emanli and the Creatures from the Fallen Star. It’s a short adventure for, you guessed it, one player which follows the tale of Alosar, a druid’s apprentice, as he interacts with, well, the creatures from the fallen star. I can’t say the title isn’t spot on.

There have been two previous Party Of One supplements, so I imagine that the series has been received reasonably well. The previous adventures go for 2.99 on Paizo’s website, so I would assume that this product will be priced similarly. BB3 comes in at 15 pages, with about 12 or so being the actual content and the remainder being stat tables for your character.

I am going to be reviewing a number of products in the coming weeks, months, and years, so I imagine that some kind of standardized format would be in order. Since I am a massive nerd, I thought a lot about the best system to use: a larger scale allows for a more granular rating system, while a smaller scale is easier to understand. I also considered a buy/don’t buy recommendation system, but that recommendation relies on too much information I don’t have (your budget, your preferences).

I am going to break the review of products like these into three sections: Content, Mechanics, and Format. Content will include the meat-and-potatoes of many RPG products, the story. The Mechanics section will include my review of the mechanics of the product (and I will try to stay away from talking too much about Pathfinder’s mechanics in general, in this case). Finally, Format will include all the information about the physical/digital product, including layout, artwork, editing, etc. Yes, everyone’s favorite section, when I critique other peoples’ writing. Because mine is so awesome, of course.

Continue reading »

Popularity: 1%

 Posted by Nick on May 2, 2012 at 11:52 am

How Else Could the Die Roll?

 Role Playing Games, System Neutral  2 Responses »
May 012012
 
'Let the Games Begin' by see-through-the-eye-of-g on Flickr

'Let the Games Begin' by see-through-the-eye-of-g on Flickr

Failure can be interesting if it encourages creativity; when players can’t do the first thing that enters their heads, so they’re forced to pursue alternate paths.

But.

What if, instead of success/failure, you rolled to determine one of two different outcomes? Or a range of outcomes?

I’m sure there are systems that do this (like Fudge). But imagine it accepted broadly, in most RPGs. What if popular systems were built around the idea of dice rolls providing more than a binary outcome of success or failure?

What if the GM built dangerous situations, not monsters?

GMs are used to constructing encounters with a balanced mixes of baddies, and choosing or constructing appropriate baddies. What if we rose our thinking to a higher level?

Imagine the GM laying out possible outcomes for a situation. The players then roll to determine which one occurs.

We could build a system for this, but let’s use common, existing mechanics. When in a dangerous situation, choose appropriate abilities, skills, etc. Instead of rolling against one target difficulty, you roll for each possible outcome. The outcome with the highest roll occurs.

Example: The players have been hired to protect a caravan traveling through the desert. An airship covered with a swarm of giant insects descends out of the sky and crashes on the path ahead. The PCs see at least one unconscious survivor. Outcomes include: the players rescue the survivor but are attacked by insects; the players are attacked by insects and the survivors die (but leave behind a record of their trip); all the insects are dead but the players rescue the survivor. The players roll for each of these outcomes, adding all their results together.

How might this broaden the kinds of situations that your party would get into?

Popularity: 1%

 Posted by Brent P. Newhall on May 1, 2012 at 8:54 am  Tagged with: ,

All Sins Must Be Eaten: 5 Geists for your NWoD game.

 Role Playing Games  1 Response »
May 012012
 
 

Geist: The Sin-Eaters

Geist is one of White Wolf’s more recent system releases, and it’s also one of my favorites. You play as a Sin-Eater; a relatively ordinary mortal who suffered a premature death only to be dragged back into the land of the living by a Geist, a bizarre entity from beyond time and space.

Having cut a deal with the dead, the Sin-Eaters act as gatekeepers between the worlds of the living and the deceased. They help pacify angry ghosts, protect the living and dead alike from the predations of the supernatural and even make the occasional perilous run into the Underworld itself as the need arises.

While life as a Sin-Eater can be bizarre and miserable, it is the strange and tumultuous life of a hard-boiled detective as opposed to a never-ending parade of suffering and drudgery that one might expect. The image links to the free quick-starter document on DrivethruRPG, and I highly suggest that you download it and give the system a try.

After the jump we’ll take a look at some new Geists your character could use, one for each type of Sin-Eater, and see how these strange, alien beings can aid and influence your character.

Continue reading »

Popularity: 1%

 Posted by Vanhavoc on May 1, 2012 at 2:56 am
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